Understanding Design
This book is about aspect of design education.
LEARNING BY DOING
According to the book, it says that ‘most design curricula are based upon learning-by-doing’
Design school students learn by this doing method which is major part of program.
Student who don’t need a lot of tutoring still need a learning from others whether they are same level or lower.
In my case, the design tutoring helps me to get better skill.
Also it guides me to be more practical.
I still could do my work without design tutoring but it would be confusable.
Learning by doing provides a lot of motivations to me so that I can find the area, which I want to afford. My idea for these is within the limit of fact that the tutoring doesn’t ignore student’s creativity.
However because of Design tutoring, diverse opportunities of learning could be reduced.
REFLECTION
In order to make not same mistakes as present and past designers made, design students need a lot of chance to get design stories like designer’s reflection.
THE TUTORING DILEMMA
“…in the role of tutor, you should not say everything that comes into your ‘designer’s mind’. You must often let the students make the mistakes they are heading for, confront them with those mistakes and then help them reach a different solution.”(p82)
It is true we are facing a lot of mistakes and learning from them.
As my experiences that I studied in different countries and institutes, tutors are sorted by way of answering our question.
Some of them give me a answer directly what I ask and expect so that I am able to apply my work but others want to ask rather my opinion of the question and never give direct answer and any suggestions. Critic answers give me a challenge always.
And this gave me a new question that do we need to accept all answer from tutor? How about in real work place? Do they always accept their company’s answer?
Whether the answer is positive or negative, student’s creativity must be respected as a preliminary designer.
Although the point the tutor wants us to get from question is different, everything could be a guide.
Unskillfulness can be improved by tutoring but produce a good design from those of skill is our work.
NAIVE DESIGN
Whenever I start to my new project, I wanted to see design method from the tutor what it would be.
However the problem is that I can’t reach my answer once I see the design method but tutors answer.
This is very important fact to develop our own way of working.
“To students, those method are just complicated solution to problems they have never encountered.”(p83)
LEARNING INTEGRATION
“the trouble is that good tutors are hard to find.”(p84)
As the book said it is not easy to find the tutor who teach based on a lot of knowledge whether from book or others and experienced in practical area as well.
Whether they are experienced or not, they are all facing the problems.
In my opinion of that is that different tutors are required depending on character of program.
THE UNSURE
“And the outside world can be a mean place.”(p86)
The answer from tutors doesn’t make me satisfying always.
It does not only get me down but also makes me suspect of my ability.
However, once I solve a problem with answer, I find myself better than before.
LIMITS OF AN EDUCATION
According to the book, through the design practice we find out who we are and what kind of design area suits us.
Although my taste of design is inclined to a certain part (illustration), I always think I need to be ready for any random design work.
And I will be learning even I work as a designer after graduate.
“You never stop learning.”(p87)
LEVEL OF EXELLENCE
“When you manage to reach a new level, a new world literally opens up to you. It is a real break through.”(p89)
The more we enter the next level, the more we become a designer.
Because we are not professional yet, we have many possibilities to be a designer.
Reference
Dorst, K 2003, Understanding Design, BIS Publishers, Amsterdam
